EIGHT DISASTER RECOVERY CENTERS TO CLOSE FRIDAY: THREE REMAIN OPEN

Eight of the 11 remaining Disaster Recovery Centers operated by the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will be closing this Friday, Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. At the peak of the recovery effort 16 DRCs were open in counties across the state.  Five closed Oct 10.

Officials urge residents to go to the centers to meet one-on-one with specialists to get information or assistance with their recovery from the mid-September flooding.

“We are closing these recovery centers because traffic in them has slowed considerably,” said GEMA Director and State Coordinating Officer Charley English. “We will have three recovery centers still open, and help is available through other sources.”

The following Disaster Recovery Centers will close at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16:

• Cherokee County. Cherokee County Parks and Recreation Department Gym, 200 Building, 7545 Main St. Woodstock, GA 30188
• Douglas County. Lithia Springs First United Methodist Church, 3711 Temple St., Lithia Springs, GA  30122
• Paulding County. Paulding County Community Center, 54 Industrial Way, Dallas, GA 30132
• Walker County. Walker County Agricultural Center, 10054 North Highway 27, Rock Spring, GA 30739
• DeKalb County. Browns Mill Recreation Center, 5101 Browns Mill Road, Lithonia, GA 30038
• Fulton County. Fulton County Government Center, 141 Pryor St. Southwest, Atlanta, GA 30303
• Fulton County. City of Sandy Springs City Hall, 7840 Roswell Road, Bldg. 500, Sandy Springs, GA 30350
• Fulton County. Welcome All Park, 4255 Will Lee Road, Atlanta, GA, 30349.

“It is important for people to understand they can still get help at one of the other Disaster Recovery Centers or through the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362,” said FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer Gracia Szczech.

Disaster Recovery Centers will continue to be open in the following locations from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday, until further notice:

• Cobb County. The Threadmill, Suite 151, 5000 Austell/Powder Springs Road, Austell, GA 30106
• Douglas County. Heritage Baptist Church, 8800 Rose Ave., Douglasville, GA 30134
• Gwinnett County. Mountain Park Depot, 5050 Five Forks Trickum Road, Lilburn, GA 30047

Szczech said those affected by the storm should first register for assistance, either on the Web at www.DisasterAssistance.gov; or by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362), or TTY 800-462-7585. The toll-free numbers are staffed seven days a week, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Help is available in all languages.

After registration, people can then come to a Disaster Recovery Center to check on the status of their applications, review information needed to process their claim, get help filling out loan applications from the Small Business Administration (SBA), get lists of places to rent, learn ways to rebuild safely, and meet with specialists from other disaster assistance agencies.

SBA representatives will be at Disaster Recovery Centers to answer any questions about the SBA’s low-interest disaster loan program for homeowners, renters, and businesses of all sizes. These loans are to repair or replace real estate and/or personal property damaged by the storms and flooding.

Representatives will help complete and accept SBA disaster loan applications. Anyone not able to go to a Disaster Recovery Center should call the SBA Customer Service Center between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. EST Monday through Saturday, toll free, at 800-659-2955 for information and assistance, or visit the SBA Web site at www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance or send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .  Applicants may apply for disaster loans from SBA’s secure Web site at http://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/.

ALL AFFECTED BY SEPTEMBER GEORGIA FLOODS SHOULD CALL FEMA

Many more may qualify if they knew the facts.

Thousands recovering from the September Georgia storms and flooding have been helped, but many more may be eligible for disaster assistance from the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

“Many people who had flood losses mistakenly believe they won’t qualify for any disaster assistance,” said GEMA Director Charley English. “We encourage them to apply. It only takes 20 minutes on the phone or online to register.”

FEMA disaster assistance helps fill the gaps in disaster recovery, even for those who get insurance payouts or other assistance. There are many reasons people don’t register for disaster assistance, but these are among the top five:

You may be eligible for help with uninsured or underinsured losses, including damage to wells and septic systems.

If you’re still waiting for a visit from an insurance adjuster, or for an insurance settlement, go ahead and apply for assistance. Ensure you do so by the FEMA filing deadline.

Promptly make necessary repairs to make your house livable and be sure to keep papers and receipts for all work. 

The damage caused by a flood – and the costs associated with repairs or rebuilding – may not be apparent for several weeks. By registering with FEMA now, you may be covered for those damages that are discovered later.

“The important thing is to register,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Gracia Szczech. “That one step may unlock grants, low-interest loans, disaster unemployment assistance, and any other state or federal aid. And registering is as easy as picking up the telephone or going online.”

Anyone in the designated counties can register for disaster assistance by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362) (TTY 800-462-7585) or going online to www.disasterassistance.gov.

The 17 counties under the disaster declaration for Individual Assistance are Bartow, Carroll, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fulton, Gwinnett, Heard, Newton, Paulding, Rockdale, Stephens and Walker.

On September 22, Governor Sonny Perdue declared a state of emergency in 17 Georgia counties.  Several people have died and hundreds of people have lost their homes.

Officials in Congressman Lewis' office have been in touch with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency and the Governor’s office in response to the tragedy.  The entire delegation also wrote a letter to the President requesting that he declare the region a disaster area.  

On September 25, President Obama declared DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Newton, Rockdale and Catoosa counties Federal Disaster Areas and residents are now eligible to receive federal assistance.

Residents and business owners in these counties who sustained losses can begin applying for Individual Assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (local time) Monday through Sunday.

Individual assistance can include grants to help pay for temporary housing, home repairs and other serious disaster-related expenses. Low-interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration also will be available to cover residential and business losses not fully compensated by insurance.

The total number of counties designated under this disaster declaration now stands at 14. The list includes: Carroll, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fulton, Gwinnett, Newton, Paulding, Rockdale, Stephens and Walker counties.

Below are additional helpful links for up to the minute information and resources from around the State of Georgia.

GEMA

GEMA Situation Reports re Flooding and Relief Efforts

GEMA on Twitter

Ready Georgia on Facebook  

Georgia Navigator (great site for road closures statewide)  

AJC Minute-by-minute Updates

Disaster Assistance

SBA

IRS Online Resources

IRS Information for Atlanta Flood Victims

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

 Georgia Disaster Response Summary

 Flood Safety Checklist